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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22473469">Semantics</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieju/pseuds/Lieju'>Lieju</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Indiana Jones Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies With Benefits, M/M, an alternative universe where rene survives the events of raiders of the lost ark, slight sexual content</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 10:33:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,469</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22473469</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieju/pseuds/Lieju</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Indy and René had an arrangement. But at some point a long term enemies with benefits relationship maybe doesn't differ that much from just dating.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rene Belloq/Henry "Indiana" Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Indiana pinned René against the bookshelf in his small office.</p><p>”What did you take?” he demanded to know.</p><p>”Nothing.” René lifted an eyebrow. ”Oh my aren't we paranoid today?”</p><p>”I found you in my office, <em>alone</em>.” Indy applied more pressure to René's shoulder for emphasis. ”It's called pattern recognition.”</p><p>He moved his other hand lower on his rival's body, sliding past his pockets and settling on his ass.</p><p>”I will strip you naked if I have to.”</p><p>René's grin didn't make him seem all that worried by the prospect. ”Would you believe if I told you I had no time to go for what I was looking for?”</p><p>He moved fast, hands unbuttoning Indy's shirt. Indy kissed him, pushing him harder against the shelf.</p><p>He was so glad they had finally managed to work out a system. This was much more pleasant than waving a gun at each other or throwing around threats both knew were mostly empty anyway.</p><p>Indy gasped at René's mouth on his chest. The fucker was moving fast today. Taking advantage of his weak spots already must have meant he wanted to draw attention away from <em>something.</em></p><p>Keeping the breathiness out of his voice when René's tongue was circling his nipples was a challenge but he mostly managed. ”I can guess what it was you were looking for. Your ancient Sumerian was never that good you'd need someone to translate the cuneiform tablets-”</p><p>Indy froze. ”Sh.”</p><p>He pushed René off. ”I could hear the door to the outer office opening. I thought I locked the door. It must be Marcus-”</p><p>Hurriedly, he tried to button his shirt up. ”Try not to look suspicious.”</p><p>”It might help if you stopped pinning me against the wall.”</p><p>Indy stepped back just in time for the door to open.</p><p>It was not Marcus.</p><p>”Ah. Nghn. Dad.”</p><p>”<em>This</em> is your office?” his father frowned. ”Could use a good-” he spotted René. ”Hello?”</p><p>”He was just leaving! By the way it's really hot in here isn't it? Must be- something wrong with the heating.” Indy pulled his shirt open slightly hoping it'd explain his unkempt appearance. ”Phew.”</p><p>He took a hold of René's shoulders and started guiding him towards the door. ”How nice of you to pop in unexpectedly but I recall you saying you were busy elsewhere-”</p><p>René dug in his heels and stomped on Indy's foot to stop himself from being pushed out of the room. ”Oh I still have time.”</p><p>René took off his hat and gave the sunniest of his smiles to Indy's father. ”I don't believe we have been introduced..?”</p><p>Indy groaned. ”This is my dad- Professor Jones. Dad, this is my-”</p><p>Rival? Shadowy reflection? Lover? Boyfriend? Occasional ally? Major pain in the ass?</p><p>Taken aback by the realization that the enemies-with-benefits arrangement he had with René was technically his longest romantic relationship he stumbled over his words and his mouth went with: ”My Belloq.”</p><p>René reached a hand out to Henry Sr. ”A pleasure. I have heard so much about you.”</p><p>”You have?”</p><p>”Granted, your son doesn't talk that much about you but I am of course very familiar with your work. Medieval literature overlaps quite a lot with my areas of expertise. I enjoyed your recent paper on the evolution of the supernatural elements in the Arthurian legend.”</p><p>A smile spread on Henry Sr's face and he shook his hand. ”I didn't think anyone read it. So you're a historian as well?”</p><p>”Oh yes. I have been working with your son for years. Lot of-” he licked his lip ever so slightly- “practical research. But never mind that, I was very interested in your interpretation of the-”</p><p>”Oh look at the time Dad why are you here I am very busy!?” Indiana interrupted him.</p><p>His brain hadn't quite caught up with the fact René and his father were talking (with <em>each other!</em>) but the terror at the situation was mounting.</p><p>”Can't a father want to see his son?” He sighed. ”It was Marcus. He seemed to think I should. Do father-son bonding activities with you that don't include being shot at by the Nazis.”</p><p>René let out a laugh. ”That's a funny joke.” He elbowed Indy. ”That our little bookworm Doctor Jones would ever get around to something that exciting.”</p><p>”Yeah. Anyway-” Indy was ignored once more as his father cut him off.</p><p>”So I was planning to get some lunch but-”</p><p>”What a wonderful idea!” René said. ”I happen to know a lovely little restaurant just across the street! We should all go. I'd love to talk more about your work, Professor Jones.”</p><p>”I think I would love it.”</p><p>Indy stood there, watching dumbfounded as the two prepared to leave. Together.</p><p>His father turned around. ”Aren't you coming, son?”</p><p>And so Indiana ended up sitting in the cozy little Italian restaurant, with his father and his arguably-worst-enemy and even-more-arguably-boyfriend. Watching them chatting.</p><p>Being friendly.</p><p>He wondered if he should just start mentally preparing himself for René inviting himself to stay for Christmas with them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>”What are you doing here?” Indiana demanded to know.<br/>René waved the paper he had been reading at Indy's desk. ”Can't I be curious?”<br/>Indiana stepped forward, fuming.<br/>He was in Indiana's house.<br/>Indy struggled to keep his tone level. ”If you waited for a month or two you could have read that officially. Once it passes the peer review.”<br/>”What can I say, I was impatient.” He set the pile of papers back on Indiana's desk. ”If it makes you feel any better consider this a part of peer review; some of your claims about the development of black-figure pottery aren't fully supported by your-”<br/>”Duly noted.”<br/>”Just trying to be helpful.”<br/>Indiana frowned. He hadn't seen Belloq for some time. There had been a few excursions lately where he had expected Belloq to appear behind any corner, ready to steal the relic he had acquired.<br/>Just when had he started to expect that? Assume René would be where he was?<br/>Then again, lately René had popped up much more...<br/>But for him to appear in Indiana's house! Break in while Indy was at work!<br/>It was crossing a boundary he hadn't before and Indiana wasn't willing to tolerate it.<br/>So he took a hold of René's shoulder and pinned him to the wall.<br/>”You really expect me to believe that?”<br/>René winced in pain and drew in sharp breath. Indiana stopped.<br/>”I don't care what you believe-”<br/>Indiana interrupted him with a kiss, deciding he wasn't interested in his excuses. René embraced him, returning the kiss hungrily.<br/>Even desperately...<br/>Maybe he had just been lonely. Or wanted to fuck.<br/>Well, Indiana was happy to provide. It seemed today they'd even have a bed at their disposal.<br/>He slipped his hands under René's jacket, to better feel his body.<br/>He stopped. There was something under René's shirt... René twitched. Indiana pulled away his hand.<br/>His fingers had brushed against something wet.<br/>”Hey!”<br/>Indy ignored René's protests and pulled his jacket off.<br/>”There's blood.”<br/>René cursed. ”<em>Merde</em>. The wound opened.”<br/>Indiana took René's hand and pulled him to his bathroom.<br/>”Come on, take off your shirt.”<br/>René stared at him.<br/>Indiana pulled out his emergency kit. ”I think I should still have some supplies. I should restock.”<br/>He gave René a look. ”Shirt. Off.”<br/>As René didn't seem about to comply Indiana took matters into his own hands and started unbuttoning the shirt. At least he didn't resist now.<br/>”It's nothing,” René said.<br/>Indy inspected the bandage he had felt through his clothes before. To his relief there wasn't much bleeding. He threw the shirt into the sink and opened the valve.<br/>”What are you doing to my shirt?”<br/>Indiana pushed René down on the chair. ”Sit. What, do you want to ruin your shirt permanently? At least it's not drying up.”<br/>”It's going to be ruined anyway.”<br/>Indiana started to remove the bandages. ”It's just some blood. I've gotten bigger stains off before.”<br/>”Really? I just throw my clothes away when that happens.”<br/>”Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda do miracles,” Indiana mumbled.<br/>”I never knew you were such an accomplished homemaker- AH!”<br/>”Do you want it getting infected? Stay still or this will really reopen.”<br/>”You did that on purpose.”<br/>”Stay still and you'll find out if I will be any gentler.”<br/>Indiana examined the wound. ”Who shot at you? Did you get the bullet out?”<br/>”I had some trouble in Bolivia a while ago. Bad luck. I did get it treated, eventually.”<br/>Indiana ran his finger on the wound. It would leave a scar. Not that René- well the both of them- didn't have more than their fair share of them already. Although René seemed to be much better at staying out of trouble. He usually wasn't the one getting his hands dirty and knew to disappear before people realized he hadn't had their best interests in mind.<br/>But if Indiana was right...<br/>If the bullet had hit him in a slightly different angle or few inches higher it would have pierced his lung.<br/>”Bad luck? I'd say you were lucky.”<br/>One day he might not be fast enough, would overestimate his charm or the stupidity of his victims...<br/>Indiana pulled the roll of bandages from his emergency kit. ”Lift your arms up.”<br/>As he started to bandage the wound he wondered. René didn't sound like he was going to talk about this more. Not that it mattered, Indy could fill in the blanks. But-<br/>Somehow Indiana hadn't considered this as a scenario.<br/>For years and years he had thought about the possibility René would die. They both lived a dangerous life after all. But he had always assumed that when it happened he would be there.<br/>That it would be René making some final mistake.<br/>Once upon a time Indiana had wondered if he would be forced to act, if Belloq would eventually cross some moral line, if it would be either him or Indiana in some final confrontation.<br/>These days when he imagined it Indiana tended to assume he would try to prevent it, pull René away from some unnamed danger-<br/>But he would be too late.<br/>Or he couldn't convince René there was danger and he'd be blinded by pride and greed and walk into his death.<br/>And Indiana would have to watch René die.<br/>But it never had occurred to Indiana it might happen without him there.<br/>That one day René just would stop appearing.<br/>And Indiana would never know what had happened.<br/>He'd keep expecting his rival to show up some day, unaware of how he was dead, his body decomposing somewhere middle of a jungle...<br/>Indiana pulled René into a desperate kiss, burying his fingers into his hair.<br/>At least for now he was there with him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Phil is Indy's teaching assistant who originally was included in raiders but his scene was cut.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Indy ran his fingers on the clay tablet. A record of some transactions from several millennia ago. A human being had noted this down to complain about the amount he was paid for the army equipment. Just normal daily business. But now it opened a window to the past for people like Indiana who could peek through it to learn things about how the Mesopotamian army had worked...</p><p>It wasn't gold or shiny jewels but its value lay in pure knowledge. This connection to the past...</p><p>Indy pulled out the bottle of Scotch from his desk. He had earned it.</p><p>He poured a drink and leaned back in his chair. There was a knock on the door of his tiny office.</p><p>Of course. Phil.</p><p>His teaching assistant was early, but Indiana remembered now he had requested to talk to him.</p><p>Poor kid had probably been taking on extra work for himself again. Indiana's constant unexpected absences were not great for the college or him...</p><p>“Come in.”</p><p>The figure stepping into his small office was not Phil.</p><p>Indy stood up. “Belloq!”</p><p>The man casually waved his hand. “No need to get up on my regard. I see you were comfy.”</p><p>Indiana narrowed his eyes. Belloq had almost gotten the tablet from him in Marrakesh, but he had managed to get away with it.</p><p>Indiana sat down, not taking his eyes off of Belloq. He moved his hand closer to the desk drawer with the small pistol, just in case.</p><p>“Not ready to give up?” Indy asked.</p><p>René took the seat opposite him. “Oh no, I am willing to give this one to you. You won fair and square.”</p><p>Indy glared at him.</p><p>René shrugged. “Also the person I had been planning to sell this to met with a little accident. Someone kicked him off a roof in Marrakesh.”</p><p>“Imagine that.”</p><p>“But I am curious. I never got a good look at it.”</p><p>“You can stare at it all you want after it's in the museum,” Indy pointed out, but didn't object when René reached to inspect the tablet.</p><p>The awe on his face was genuine as he caressed the relic.</p><p>René reached for Indy's glass and brought it to his lips. He made a face. “You do <em>not</em> have an expensive taste, Indiana.”</p><p>“No one told you to steal my drink,” Indy pointed out.</p><p>René ignored that and gave him a smile. “Look at you, all proper and scholarly.” He leaned over the desk. “You really look different like this, do you know that?” He reached to pull at Indy's bowtie. “Professor.”</p><p>Their lips met. This was a bad idea, Indy knew that, but no harm in-</p><p>The door opened.</p><p>Indy pushed René away, almost toppling the pile of papers on the desk. René recovered quickly, standing up and turning to the door.</p><p>He tipped his hat to Phil who was staring at the two men.</p><p>“I see your next appointment is here, Doctor Jones.” René walked to the door. “I shall take my leave, then.”</p><p>Phil made a squeak and almost jumped out of the way to let René leave.</p><p>He turned to Indiana who was still grasping the pile of papers. “I can- I am sorry, I-”</p><p>“Nonono,” Indiana stood up. “It's fine, Doctor Belloq was just leaving.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Indiana watched Phil's gaze travel lower and he became suddenly aware of his loose tie.</p><p>Indy pulled it off, determined to play this off as if nothing had been going on. “It's fine, it really is. You wanted to talk to me?”</p><p>Phil waved a stack of papers. “I have. I have these. Essays. But-”</p><p>Indiana sat down again, gesturing at the now empty chair. “Come on. Sit.”</p><p>He pointed at the clay tablet. “Take a look. I was showing this to my colleague just now.”</p><p>“It's wonderful. That's what you were looking for? When you were away on your trip.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“And Doctor Belloq was your- he was helping you?”</p><p>“After a fashion.”</p><p>Indiana eyed the boy. He was looking haggard, as if he was still in shock. “Would you like a drink?”</p><p>“Yes Sir.”</p><p>He downed the glass in one gulp and coughed.</p><p>“Try to at least enjoy it!”</p><p>“Sorry Sir.”</p><p>“Don't worry about it.”</p><p>He watched Phil pour an another drink for himself. The boy had something in his mind.</p><p>“I have been doing lot of the work, like grading these essays- you need to read them over-”</p><p>Indy gave him a smile. “You work very hard. I am sorry I am not the easiest professor to work for.”</p><p>“That's not true at all!”</p><p>“I am away quite a lot,” Indy pointed out.</p><p>“Yes. On your travels.”</p><p>Phil fell silent again and poured yet another drink for himself.</p><p>Indiana frowned. Maybe he had seen more than Indiana had hoped and was gathering the courage to call him out-</p><p>If so this was bad.</p><p>“There are rumors, you know,” Phil said. “About what you do.”</p><p>“I don't know what you have heard but it's all perfectly legal.”</p><p>If you ignored some bits and parts.</p><p>
  <em>Mostly legal.</em>
</p><p>“Not everywhere,” Phil mumbled. “But I was wondering, if it's, if people like Doctor Belloq-”</p><p>“Don't you worry about him. I don't like him coming to the university.”</p><p>Phil nodded, eagerly. “I can understand that. But it's-”</p><p>He blushed.</p><p>He reached his hand to Indy's and took it.</p><p>Phil gently brushed his thumb on Indy's hand.</p><p>Indiana stared at it. Was he-</p><p>“I understand,” Phil told him.</p><p><em>Oh</em>.</p><p>Indiana wasn't sure how to react. If he pulled away now Phil might get the wrong idea... Even run away and if he did know Indy couldn't afford him telling anyone.</p><p>“How much you know? You said there were rumors.”</p><p>“It's just. A very attractive young professor, unmarried, disappears sometimes, and there are rumors he does... Some things. It was just the matter of connecting the dots.”</p><p>
  <em>Connecting them maybe slightly off.</em>
</p><p>Not that he had arrived to a completely wrong conclusion, and Indiana did keep his affairs with men neatly contained in his adventuring life.</p><p>Until recently anyway.</p><p>Indiana pulled his hand away, giving Phil a gentle smile. “I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this.”</p><p>“Of course I wouldn't! I am sorry Sir I shouldn't have-” Phil gave Indy a look again.</p><p>Indy wondered if he had looked at him so clearly filled with lust before and he had simply been oblivious. He knew full well quite a number of his students had crushes on him but he had no interest in encouraging those sort of feelings.</p><p>Especially in boys. It would get tricky fast.</p><p>“It's okay, don't worry about that. I am not looking for- Just so we're clear, I am not interested in-”</p><p>“In me.”</p><p>Indy nodded. “In you.”</p><p>“How did you meet?”</p><p>Indiana stared at him. “Who?”</p><p>“You and Doctor Belloq.”</p><p>Indiana was really starting to regret telling him René's name.</p><p>“That's complicated. It's complicated. But we met back in school. At the university in France.”</p><p>“Oh!” Phil sat straighter. “I hoped to- I grew up in a small town I always knew- since I was little I knew I liked men but there were no- Everyone knew everyone and if my Mom found out, my dad died when I was young and if she found out it'd kill her. So I never did anything even though I suspected this other boy was- Was like me. Was like us-”</p><p>Indy struggled to find something comforting to say. He went with: “I... see.”</p><p>“So I studied hard to get into the university and work hard to live in the city but I don't- I had wished I would be able to-”</p><p>He gave a pleading look to Indiana.</p><p>“You never have- Done anything in practice?”</p><p>“I don't know where to go,” Phil whispered. “But I suppose you found someone at the university. Was it easy in France? I hear it's different in France-”</p><p>“That's complicated!”</p><p>“Sorry Sir!”</p><p>Indiana rubbed his forehead. Almost all of the Scotch was gone and he had not gotten to drink any of it. “Listen, I never usually-”</p><p>Indiana sat there, looking at the kid sitting across him who was trying to look as tiny as possible.</p><p>Indiana pocketed his glasses and sighed. “Phil, it's complicated.”</p><p>He stood up and walked to take his coat. “But there is a small local bar I know about. A bar for- For people like us.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Indiana opened the door. “Come on kid, I can at least nudge you in the right direction.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Indiana watched the crowd uneasily. It had been a while since he had been in any underground gay bar, but usually picking up men wasn't a problem for him.</p><p>He glanced at Phil who was observing him intently.</p><p>
  <em>Should I try to set up a good example? </em>
</p><p>Time for that had passed once he chose to drag him into a gay bar.</p><p>“So, what should we do now-” Phil leaned in closer to whisper. “Should we think of fake names?”</p><p>“Uh. If you want. Just don't tell anyone your last name.”</p><p>A voice came form behind them: “Oh? So are you not going to introduce me to your young friend?”</p><p>Indiana almost jumped. “B- René!”</p><p>He glared at the Frenchman. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>René shrugged. “I saw you two leave and I followed you, obviously.”</p><p>“I don't usually come here,” Indiana said, defensively. “And it's not...”</p><p>Phil offered his hand to Belloq. “Nice to meet you, René. My name is Phil but I am thinking of coming up with a fake name. How about 'James'?”</p><p>“Just use your pets names,” René said, taking his hand. “If you're desperately trying to come up with a name. Works better than you'd think. Nice to meet you, Phil. Properly this time.”</p><p>Phil blushed. “Yeah I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't mean to see anything.”</p><p>“Someone should have remembered to lock the door,” René said. He turned to face the crowd. “Your first time? Anyone catch your eye?”</p><p>“I don't know, Sir.”</p><p>“Do you have a type?”</p><p>“I like everyone.” Phil glanced at Indy. “All men who are into that, anyway.”</p><p>“Oh don't lower your standards just because you want to get laid,” René said.</p><p>Indy decided to interrupt in fear of René saying something more... Something. “Just relax.” Phil looked at him and Indy wished he had just let René take this. “Relax and try to- I just usually talk to people and it's...”</p><p>He gestured at the crowd, some of who were dancing. “Can you dance? You can try to ask people to dance.”</p><p>“I... I am going to try.”</p><p>“Good luck,” Indy told him.</p><p>He watched Phil walk to a young man, not much older than he was, and start talking.</p><p>
  <em>Better keep an eye on the kid... He did drink almost all of my Scotch before we even got here.</em>
</p><p>Indy retreated to the corner of the bar. He gave a look to René who had walked to the counter. He seemed to be striking a conversation with the two guys sitting there.</p><p>Indy wasn't sure what René was doing but-</p><p>One of the guys definitely had checked out René's ass.</p><p>Indiana frowned. It hadn't really occurred to him anyone would be into <em>René</em>. It made sense, René wasn't... <em>Ugly</em>, he supposed, but what were those men thinking? They didn't know what he was like-</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>Indy turned to the person talking to him. “Sorry, I am-” He gestured at René vaguely.</p><p>“You came with company?” The lithe red headed man smiled. He was cute. Normally, Indy would have been happy to go with him but-</p><p>The man shot a knowing look at René's direction and asked: “Care for a third one in the mix?”</p><p>That sure was an idea. Somehow preferable to whatever was happening at the counter right now.</p><p>But-</p><p>“Sorry, no. Maybe some other time.”</p><p>Indy left him and walked to the counter, placing himself between René and the obscene guy who had been staring at his behind.</p><p>“Enjoying yourself?” Indy asked.</p><p>René lifted his glass of cheap brandy at Indy. “Sorry fellas, my date is here.”</p><p>Indiana moved next to René. He wasn't sure if he was joking but no need to let the others know that. He wondered how often René went to places like this. If he flirted with men. If he fucked them.</p><p>What kind of men he liked?</p><p>Indy had obviously known of René's inclinations but he had never really considered the fact he must have had done this sort of stuff... Indy had known René flirted with women and even though he wasn't sure if that ever went anywhere it wasn't the same somehow.</p><p>“Are you expecting me to ask you to dance?” Indiana asked, leaning closer.</p><p>
  <em>Those guys probably assumed we were together.</em>
</p><p>The thought didn't bother him at all.</p><p>René took a sip of his drink and grimaced. “No. You have two left feet we both know that.”</p><p>“No I don't. Only because you don't let me lead properly.”</p><p>René took Indiana's arm and turned to face him. “Would you like it really if I did?”</p><p>“No,” Indiana admitted.</p><p>
  <em>I don't think I would.</em>
</p><p>Indiana slipped his hand on René's hip anyway with the ease of someone who knew this body well.</p><p>
  <em>He is such a pain in the ass but if he wasn't I don't think I would-</em>
</p><p>René smiled, leaning into a kiss and Indiana wondered if he was aware of the moment. Of the realization that hit Indiana.</p><p>
  <em>I think I am in love with him.</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Indiana stepped out with René. It looked like it had rained when they had been inside and it might start raining soon again.</p><p>Indiana watched René light a cigarette. How was he so casual when everything had changed now?</p><p>“Would you like to go? Do something?” Indiana asked.</p><p>“I wouldn't say no to a quick fuck but I think you need to go look after the kid, Professor.”</p><p>“I'm sure Phil will be fine.”</p><p>“Maybe so, but is it in your nature to leave him to tend for himself?”</p><p>“Maybe.” Indiana sighed. “But I'm not going to do that.”</p><p>He wanted to just take hold of this moment and run off with René and figure out what he wanted-</p><p>But he had dragged the kid here, he was his responsibility.</p><p>René gave him an odd look.</p><p>“But I didn't mean just...” Indiana paused. “I'm sure you can find someone else. Those guys were all over you.”</p><p>“Certainly.”</p><p>“So why don't you go fuck some of them, then?” Indy almost spat out.</p><p>René stared at him.</p><p>A silence fell.</p><p>Eventually René dropped the cigarette and extinguished it with his shoe.</p><p>Soon he would walk away, and Indiana would go check on Phil and things would return back to normal.</p><p>A quick fuck every now and then in dingy hotel rooms far away from the university.</p><p>That had been working so far. No need to rock the boat.</p><p>But tonight there had been the terrifying realization that Indiana wanted more.</p><p>
  <em>This is a terrible idea.</em>
</p><p>That was absolutely true.</p><p>Then again Indiana had never been that great at listening to the part of his brain that was in charge of impulse control.</p><p>“René...” Indiana started. “I wasn't thinking about a quick fuck. Maybe you could come over some day and I'd make dinner.”</p><p>“You?”</p><p>“I know it's not what you're used to but I am not a terrible cook and I'm sure shitting all over my cooking skills would bring some amusement to you anyway. I can butcher some French cuisine, even.”</p><p>“Indiana...”</p><p>René shook his head. But when he finally spoke he said: “That sounds lovely. Should I bring roses?”</p><p>Indiana suspected it was said as a joke but the idea felt... Interesting suddenly.</p><p>He nodded. “Yeah. Bring on your A game.”</p><p>René looked at him, surprised, before letting out a chuckle. “I shall make an attempt.”</p>
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